08 Aug Healthcare Sector Drives U.S. Job Growth

HealthLeadersMedia | More than one in four of the 117,000 new jobs created in the U.S. economy in July were in healthcare, according to preliminary figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Healthcare created 31,300 new jobs for the month and 170,900 new jobs in the first seven months of 2011. The healthcare sector has accounted for 18.4% of the 930,000 non-farm payroll additions in the overall economy so far this year, BLS preliminary data show.

A further breakdown of BLS preliminary data shows that within the healthcare sector, hospitals gained 14,000 new jobs for July, despite widespread reports of layoffs due primarily to state Medicaid cuts. Hospitals lost 2,000 jobs in June, but have created 47,800 new jobs for the first seven months of 2011. By comparison, in the first seven months of 2010, hospitals created 10,300 new jobs, BLS data and preliminary data show.

Ambulatory services created 14,100 new jobs in July, after posting 13,700 new jobs in June, and has been responsible for 55% (94,000) of new jobs in healthcare in the first seven months of 2011,. Ambulatory services created 95,000 new jobs in the first six months of 2010, BLS data and preliminary data show.

Physicians’ offices reported 6,300 payroll additions in July and 30,600 new jobs so far in 2011. Physicians’ offices created 9,400 new jobs in the first seven months of 2010, BLS data and preliminary data show.